WEBVTT ANDY: MIKE RILEY SAYS IT COULD HAVE COME EARLIER -- THE ONE BYE WEEK OF THE SEASON. HOWEVER IT DOES GIVE THE BIG RED , AN ADVANTAGE, WITH MORE TIME TO PREPARE FOR IOWA, WHO HOSTS PURDUE SATURDAY. IF YOU ARE WONDERING, RILEY WENT 13-7 IN GAMES AFTER THE BYE IN HIS SECOND STINT AT OREGON STATE. TIME NOW FOR FOUR DOWNS. HERE'S BIG RED ZONE INSIDER SEAN CALLAHAN OF HUSKERONLINE.COM. SEAN: IF YOU LOOK AT NEBRASKA'S IMPROVED PLAY ON DEFENSE, ESPECIALLY LAST WEEK AT RUTGERS, IT STARTS WITH THE FRONT FOUR. THEY GOT ADEQUATE AT RUTGERS. AND IN THE SECOND HALF, THAT EXTRA DEPTH THAT NEBRASKA HAS BEEN MISSING ALL SEASON, THEY FINALLY WERE THERE. AND THAT HELPED NEBRASKA IN THE VICTORY. WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE IMPROVED PLAGUE THE LAST FEW WEEKS, I THINK PENALTIES IS THE LAST THING THAT JUMPS OUT. THEY AVERAGED NEARLY 83 YARDS PER GAME IN THE FIRST SIX-GAME READ THE LAST FEW WEEKS ALONE, THEY HAD THAT THE NUMBER DOWN TO 40 PER GAME. THAT MADE A BIG DIFFERENCE WITH THE FINAL RESULT ON THE FIELD. AS NEBRASKA WRAPPED UP THEIR FINAL BYE WEEK PRACTICE ON WEDNESDAY, ONE OF THE BIG FOCUS IS NOW GOING FORWARD TO THE WEEKEND WILL BE RECRUITING -- PARTICULARLY ON THE JUNIOR-COLLEGE SIDE. THEY HAVE JUST A COUPLE OF WEEKS TO GO OUT AND IDENTIFY, OFFER, AND TARGET THE TOP PLAYERS IN THE COUNTRY THEY WANT RIGHT NOW, PARTICULARLY ON DEFENSE. THEY'RE LOOKING AT DEFENSE OF LINEMEN, LINEBACKERS, GUYS IN THE SECONDARY THAT CAN COME IN NEXT SEASON AND GIVE THE TEAM MORE DEPTH. A LOT OF THOSE GUYS HOPE TO HAVE DECISIONS MADE BY MID-DECEMBER. FINALLY, IT IS HARD NOT TO GET EXCITED AND LOOK AHEAD TO NEXT WEEK FOR THE BLACK FRIDAY SHOWDOWN AGAINST IOWA. EVER SINCE NEBRASKA HAS JOINED THE BIG TEN, THEY TRY TO MAKE THIS GAME THE RIVALRY. I FEEL LIKE THIS IS THE FIRST YEAR THERE ARE SOME BIG STAKES ON THE LINE BETWEEN THE TWO. IOWA COMING INTO LINCOLN 11-0 UNDEFEATED, NEBRASKA TRYING TO PLAY THE SPOILER -- TRYING TO GET TO SIX WINS. AND THERE IS NO DOUBT THERE WILL BE PLENTY OF STORYLINES TO TALK ABOUT ALL NEXT WEEK READ FOR THE